Easy Mini Meatloaf Recipe with Homemade BBQ Sauce
You will love this mini meatloaf recipe – it’s quicker than regular meatloaf and easy to make in either mini loaf pans or muffin tins! With its homemade honey BBQ sauce flavored with chipotle, it’s a delightful twist on a classic dish that’s perfect for weeknight meals and entertaining, as well as meal prepping. With this delicious recipe in your meal plan, you’ll have a hearty, flavorful dinner in no time.
✩ What readers are saying…
“Love your mini meatloves. Tried them for a dinner and they made a huge impression on my folks here.” -Kathy
This mini meatloaf recipe actually changed my mind about meatloaf. I rarely used to make it because:
- Meatloaf just seemed so…blah. I didn’t really get the appeal based on the meatloaves I had growing up.
- Second, it takes SO long – you need to prep the ingredients, mush it all up together (sometimes with hands – don’t get me started on raw meat and fingernails…), press it into a pan, and then wait more than an hour to cook.
- Serving it wasn’t easy. The few times I made meatloaf I couldn’t get nice clean slices and the plate would end up with a glob of meat mixture in the middle. Lovely. (I could’ve just made a ground beef hash in a fraction of the time for almost the same result!)
So what changed? Why mini meatloaves?
One day it occurred to me (who knows why…) that I could make individual mini meatloaves in the same pan I use to make little cranberry crumb loaves (I’ve found muffin tins also work well).
This was pretty much a revelation for me – not only do they cook quicker and are a snap to serve, I actually like them better because more of each serving gets that nice crisp edge and coating of barbecue sauce.
Once I came up with a good meatloaf base and topped it with a quick homemade barbecue sauce flavored with honey and a bit of chipotle, I finally saw why people love meatloaf!
This is not your mama’s (or grandma’s) meatloaf – thankfully, there’s nothing blah about this!
Let’s Make this Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Step 1: Make the Quick BBQ Sauce
Throw all the sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor until smooth. Ta-da! Homemade barbecue sauce in less than five minutes!
There are two points I want to make about the sauce:
- There is NO ketchup in this sauce. The base is tomato paste that you doctor up with seasonings and honey.
- You can ADJUST the chipotle peppers to be everything from medium spicy to mild. OR you can leave them out completely! Don’t let the spice keep you from making this yummy recipe.
Step 2: Mix up the Meatloaf
Start your oven heating and then add all the meatloaf ingredients to a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Mix everything together thoroughly and divide the mixture between the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin or 8 mini loaf pan (no need to grease or line).
What kind of ground meat?
You can make this with any type of ground meat you prefer! I’ve made it with beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. My preference, and what you’ll see in the recipe card, is to use half of beef or turkey and half pork for a really moist, flavorful meatloaf.
Step 3: Spread with BBQ Sauce and Bake
Generously spread the sauce over the raw loaves. You won’t use all the sauce which means you will have extra for serving – yay!
Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on your pan. There you have it – meatloaf start to finish in less than an hour!
Serving Suggestions and Storage
I like to serve these meatloaves with classic garlic sour cream mashed potatoes and a green salad like this orange almond salad. Other great side options include:
- Cranberry, Walnut and Feta Broccoli Slaw
- Spiced Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower Recipe (can add chopped potatoes to this, too)
- Easy Baked Potato Fans (Hasselback Potatoes)
Storage: Keep any extra meatloaves in airtight containers in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Meal Prep: Combine a mini loaf or two muffin sizes in an airtight container along with any roasted vegetables or potatoes you made for perfect lunches all week.
Freezing: Meatloaf freezes wonderfully! Cool the loaves and place them in airtight freezer containers. Alternately, you can freeze the mini loaves on a cookie sheet and then place in a freezer baggie to be able to remove what you need. Best used within 3 months. Thaw and heat in an air fryer or microwave until warmed through. (You can freeze with sauce or without and add it when reheating – it’s up to you.)
And isn’t it great how a humble meatloaf recipe can be an entertaining option when it actually looks nice on a platter or plate?
You can bet my family asks for meatloaf now – this is a crowd pleaser for sure!
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Easy Mini Meatloaf Recipe with Homemade BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- 1 8 count mini loaf pan OR 12 cup muffin tin
- large bowl or stand mixer bowl
Ingredients
For Honey BBQ Sauce with Chipotles:
- 1 to 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce *See note for spice adjustments
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons honey**
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- water as needed to thin
For Meatloaf:
- 1 pound ground beef, turkey, or chicken
- 1 pound ground pork or sausage NOTE: you can use all beef or turkey, but adding the pork really makes a flavorful, moist meatloaf
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup diced sweet peppers***
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup oatmeal or bread crumbs I prefer oatmeal and makes it gluten-free
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Make Easy Chipotle-Honey BBQ Sauce:
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and whir until smooth.
- If sauce is too thick, add water as needed to thin to desired consistency.
- Make Mini Meatloaves:
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer, but using a wooden or stainless steel spoon works, too.
- Divide meat mixture evenly in an 8-mini-meatloaf pan OR into 12 regular sized muffin cups. No need to grease or line the pans.
- Liberally spread some of the chipotle barbecue sauce over the tops – you won't use all the sauce.
- Bake mini loaves for 25-30 minutes and muffin tin sized loaves for 20-25 minutes, until nicely brown and pulling away from the edges.
- Let sit about 5 minutes before serving with remaining barbecue sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
More Comforting Dinner Recipes To Try
- Sriracha Beef and Vegetable Rice Bowls
- Rotisserie-Style Slow Cooker Spiced Whole Chicken
- French Beef Stew Recipe – The Best Stew Ever!
- Easy Slow Cooker Cassoulet
This recipe has been updated, it was originally published in 2014, updated in 2018 and 2025.
